PROMPT: Canon Fic. Inspired by THAT Weekly Idol Moment.

If anyone knew anything about Romance, that was Kang Seulgi. Always finding a way to make Bae Joohyun’s heart flutter and smile. That was a sublime art grounded in subtlety, on the little things, on the more mundane aspects. Never showy, never extraordinary, but powerful like mammoth stampede.

It was in the way Seulgi woke up Joohyun with a tender kiss to the forehead, it was in the way she cuddled closer when the air started to get crisp at night, it was in the way Seulgi opened the doors for her, it was in the way she covered her ears when the fireworks started to fly and decorate the sky, in the way she opened her arms and held a scared Joohyun tighter when the noise was too loud to withstand. It was in the way she smiled at her with pride after ever successful performance.

It was in the way Seulgi’s hand tenderly caressed Joohyun’s scalp before she pulled her hair in their more intimate moments together, it was in the way how -- despite being overtaken by carnal passion -- Seulgi still managed to place the most tender kisses amidst the ruckus. It was in the way she succumbed to Joohyun’s demands, docile like a tamed bear. It was in the way she said Joohyun's name, so smoothly dripping off her lips like honey; it was in the way Seulgi looked at her hungrily sometimes, in the way she bit her lower lip and contained herself. It was in the way she listened, the way she lavished on Joohyun’s soft voice.

It was there, but not everyone would notice.

Every gesture had her heart in the right place, every gesture was natural to her body and mind and Joohyun couldn’t deny it made her heart flutter everytime. Seulgi’s cadence shifted to a happier tone whenever she said ‘Joohyun unnie!” whenever she baby-talked to her or whenever she reassured her to fight against her fear still made Joohyun’s stomach full with tickling butterflies. How Joohyun herself felt so comfortable, so at home, next to the woman was an statement. 

After ten years of knowing one another and after five of those years being more romantically involved, Joohyun still couldn’t help that genuine, big, goofy smile coming to her face when she read the question written on that yellow envelope. The words on the envelope read a question (‘Who would you seem to fall in love with more the more you see them?’), but to Joohyun -- Bae Joohyun, the human, the woman -- it read like the biggest profession of Seulgi’s love. Not so subtle, but perhaps its meaning was not entirely sprawled out on camera in front of the crew, in front of the hosts, in front of everyone. But that was the best part, Seulgi wasn’t afraid to show it, but still left some to the imagination.

That unreceived hug that she yearned for, a hug that a plushie received instead of her, suddenly made all sense. It was worth a thousand hugs.

‘Seulgi still loves me!’ Her heart said, leaping with joy and doing somersaults typical of a teenager in love. Suddenly all nervousness Joohyun had dissipated. That was the first thought upon reading the question. Seulgi still loves her like the first day, like the first kiss, like their first date; she felt her heart trembling and racing whenever they were together, like her knees would give to the love. Seulgi preferred the real Joohyun versus the charismatic, frightening Irene. To be reminded of that was important.

But the second thought read that Seulgi loves her even more, a little more each day, even after all these years, after all their ordeals, all their moments. Everything felt new to Seulgi still, like fresh love. Seulgi found something gorgeous in Joohyun (the real Joohyun, yes) every day, every second, and she still loves her.

She could hear it in Seulgi’s voice.

‘Bae Joohyun, I am madly in love with you, ten years later.’

She didn’t need to say it.

Thinking about it had Joohyun giggling like a fool back in the dorm, thinking about how silly her frustration was at first and how her face and smile completely changed when the question was revealed. Seulgi’s big grin changed as well, showing a true mischievous side but full of tender love. Now, Joohyun watched the water for the ramen boil yet did nothing about it. Her mind was not on it, her mind belonged to someone.

That someone was a grinning bear standing right behind her. Sneaky bear just wrapped her arms around her lover’s waist and laughed at the soft jump and the tiny yelp. Then, when the fright subsided, she melted all over again with the way Joohyun hummed and giggled in delight.

“Ah, my bear~”

Their height wasn’t so different, but it was perfect; Seulgi’s broad shoulders provided such a strange appeal and extra comfort. Her body was cozy, full of warmth and tenderness that Seulgi was once shy and hesitant to show. Now, she glowed with maturity and showed Joohyun that affection that she likes.

“Hi, unnie~” Seulgi sing-songed as well, slowly burying her lips against the crook of Joohyun’s neck, pressing a tender kiss that made Joohyun’s little hairs dance. “You did great today.”

Joohyun reached back, lovingly tapping her lover’s . “You did amazing.”

And she knew her bear well enough that those praises made her swell with pride. It wasn’t just any praise, it was from the girl who mattered the most to her.

Seulgi pulled away from that warm, soft neck to look at Joohyun, just letting her eyes speak for her as they stared at each other in near silence.

‘Did I win your heart again?’

Joohyun couldn’t help her big smile, seeing Seulgi’s own grin forming.

‘Of course you did, silly.’

Then they both melted against each other, lips together in a chaste kiss that wasn’t nearly enough. Patience, however, was a virtue and Seulgi’s learned well to be patient, despite that soft little whine coming out of her once the kiss was cut short. However, she didn’t push it any further.

‘Atta girl.’

Joohyun, too, was madly in love with Seulgi because she always won her heart over and over again. Every day, for ten years.